Physical and psychological

Physical fitness is a very important factor. If you're not fit, you limit your chances for survival dramatically. Most people knowingly and willingly avoid survival situations and are not physically prepared for them. Yet, even in daily life a reasonable level of physical fitness is useful. Physical exercise, a sober diet, plenty of rest, moderate consumption of alcohol and tobacco are good places to start from.

Psychological fitness and self-confidence are probably the first requisites in a survival situation. If you're not on your psychological best, you'll have trouble in making the right necessary (ad hoc) decisions. You'll also find it more difficult to keep thinking in a positive way when the going gets tough. And with a worsening psychological state you also increase the chances for the group to get into trouble or (and this is really bad) drag the group's mental state down as well. Some people like to complain, are critical and thus fire up the fighting spirit of others. This criticaster will turn into the focal point that the rest can aim their frustrations, fears and complaints at. Odd thing is that this criticaster often also turns out to be one who takes the lead when setbacks occur.

Often, however, the opposite happens. The complainer is a pessimist with a very negative attitude. They often can't handle the (psychological) pressures and are a threat to himself and the rest of the group. Often the group is then faced with a moral dillema: abandon the complainer or not.

Advice: NEVER leave anyone behind! You could be next!

How you increase your psychological fitness differs from person to person. An innate positive state of mind is a major bonus, an innate pessimistic tendency can be a severe limitation. Another influence is your outlook on life and the future. Spiritual or religious people often find great strength in their believes. Beware of fanatics, though, either religious or otherwise! They often blind themselves with their delusions and their black-and-white view of the world, which cause them to take irrational and ill-thought out decisions and lead the group into disaster.


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Know yourself

Survival circumstances and emergency situations are moments when your learn things about yourself and others. Trouble, stress, trauma and fear are your worst enemies. And then you still have the emergency to deal with.

Even the best trained commandos often suffer severely during survival exercises during their training. Of course, the purpose of those exercises is to select the best of the best, but still every year, elite soldiers die during exercises because they can't handle the psychological stress, loose the will to live and die because of cold or fatique. If even such professionals have a hard time coping then how are you and I, mere mortals, going to fare?

Survival is something that you can learn, up to a point. Knowledge of edible plants, protection from cold and weather, orienting and signaling can all be taught and learned. A good and experienced instructor is immensely valuable. The learned knowledge must also be practised in real life situations. By doing you often remember better what you've heard or read. The more and oftener you practise your knowledge in real life, the easier you complete the job at hand. You'll also find out where you still experience problems or lack skills and information, and you'll learn that you'll regularly have to adjust your plans to suit the situation.


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